SSC means Staff Selection Commission. It is an Organization under Government of India to recruit staff for various posts in the various Ministries and Departments of the Government of India and in Subordinate Offices i.e. Group ‘B’ & Group ‘C’. Initially SSC termed as Subordinate Service Commission because it conducts exams for lower posts than UPSC. Final Structure of SSC came into effect from 1st June 1999 when it renamed as Staff Selection Commission.
SSC conducts many competitive exams such as CGL(Combined Graduate Level Exam), CPO(Central Police Organization),CHSL(Combined Higher Secondary Level Exam), Jen(Junior Engineer), MTS(Multitasking) etc.
The main attraction of SSC is the CGL Exam, because this exam provides many Top Group “B” posts like Inspector in Income Tax Department, Central Excise Department, Customs Department, Narcotics Department, Enforcement Department(ED), Central Vigilance Commission, Department of Post, Sub Inspector in CBI, Sub Inspector in IB, Assistant in Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Railway, Armed fascinating posts.
When we enter as Inspector in Revenue departments like Income Tax, Central Excise and Customs, we can get promotion to Class ‘A’ officer that is ‘IRS’ (Indian Revenue Service) within a stipulated time. These posts are undoubtedly very much popular among the aspirants who are preparing for this exam every year because it makes us feel very proud and our family as well. In many of the Posts there is Uniform also with ‘3’ stars, which makes us feel something special and we get higher social respect.
In these Central Govt. Posts salary is very good. As an Inspector, we draw around 62,000/- in cities like Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Ahmadabad (‘X’ cities), around 58,000 in ‘Y’ cities and around 54,000 in ‘Z’ cities. So as a beginner drawing this much of salary with stability is quite good as career prospective.
If someone wants to continue his or her studies for UPSC or State Services, he or she can continue with this kind of job specially in Central Secretariat Service (Delhi). Because workload is very nominal and classes can also be taken on Weekends i.e. Saturday and Sunday so studies can be continued in a very regular way, so no more hectic schedules in terms of preparation for UPSC or State Services. It is not mandatory to opt Central Secretariat Service for UPSC preparation, one can also prepare while working in other departments also.
The number of vacancies is about 10,000 – 12,000 every year through CGL exam which is no doubt very big in terms of All India Level Exam. That’s why this particular exam is very popular among the students. This number of vacancies may vary year by year. It may increase upto 15,000 which depends on different departments and their requirement.
Now, things we need to focus to crack this exam are very simple but in a regular way. This CGL exam has 3 tiers.
Tier 1 (Online Mode) : Consists 100 questions in 60 minutes for 200 marks (English, Math, Reasoning, General Awareness each section contains 25 questions)
Tier 2 (Online Mode) : Two Papers, 120 minutes each (1ST Paper: Maths – 100 questions for 200 marks, 2nd Paper: English – 200 questions for 200 marks)
Tier 3 (Pen & Paper Mode) : Descriptive Paper which contains Essay writing and Letter Writing for 100 marks in 60 minutes.
Final cutoff is calculated from all the three tiers i.e. Tier 1+Tier 2+Tier 3 (700 marks).
So, in CGL we just need to focus English and Maths. The level is not very tough which is very similar to 10th standard. But the root thing is regular practice. The Notification releases each year in the month of February.
One more thing if someone is preparing of SSC-CGL, then no need to prepare for other exams like CHSL, Jen, CPO etc., because the level which we prepare for CGL is more than sufficient for all other exams. So, Aim yourself for SSC-CGL and try to get a respectable post.
WHY SSC?
1. Job safety: Central government jobs are secure and recession proof. The Indian government is seen as a stable employer, unlike many private sector establishments, where hire and fire work culture is there. Job prospects in public sector are relatively unaffected by the demand and supply forces prevailing in the job market.
2. Financial stability: Working in a government job comes with complete financial stability. The government is not expected to default on salary payments that are due to its employees. The payments are made on time and one does not have to worry about the salary not getting credited into the account.
3. Salary increments: Pay commissions regularly review the salary structure offered to Central Government workforce. Salaries in public sector go up, whenever the recommendations of a pay commission are implemented. In the recent past, these recommendations have been employee-friendly, thereby making Central Government jobs even more lucrative.
4. Timely promotions: Seniority is a crucial factor in Central Government promotion policy. Due importance is given to the time that one has spent in the job. Employees get fairly rewarded on the basis of the experience they possess
5. Work-Life balance: Cracking SSC CGL ensures that you will get into a job which offers wonderful work-life balance. Unlike the private sector, wherein performance on the job is of utmost importance, a Central Government job gives you ample time for personal enrichment.
6. Equal opportunities: Central Government is an equal opportunity employer in the real sense. It does not discriminate on the basis of caste, creed religion, ethnicity or any other parameter. The recruitments made are seen to be by and large transparent. One has to prove one’s merit in a competitive exam in order to get selected
7. Social status: A person employed in Central Government enjoys a dignified standing in society. A lot of candidates attempt SSC CGL as they are not just after a well paying job but after the social esteem associated with the post. For many candidates taking SSC CGL is the first step towards their dream of becoming a gazetted officer some day.
8. Career progression: SSC keeps conducting grade-wise departmental competitive exams for existing Central Government staff members. This provides them with ample growth prospects. Superior performance in these exams can set a person on a path of accelerated career progression.